Republican lawmakers say Paul Scott recall was not a referendum on GOP agenda, and they plan to move forward

AP Photo/Detroit Free Press, Jarrad HendersonState Republican leaders said the recall of Rep. Paul Scott, R-Grand Blanc, should not be considered a referendum of GOP policies since taking control of the Legislature in January.

LANSING – State Rep. Paul Scott's recall shows voters are “fed up with Republican politicians in Lansing attacking public education and the middle class,” the teachers union president said.

But state GOP leaders said the ouster of Scott, R-Grand Blanc, by about 200 votes is the result of the Michigan Education Association flexing its muscles and will not slow school and tax-reform efforts.

Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville, R-Monroe, said the vote was “not at all” a rejection of the laws Republicans have pushed through since claiming control of the House and governor's office a year ago.

“If I was an MEA member, I guess I'd be upset that my union leadership was spending so much of my dues money in such ways,” he said. “There may be a tendency for the pendulum to swing back and forth, but there is still momentum heading in our direction.”

Union leaders said they joined the effort to remove Scott, who chairs the House Education Committee, after a groundswell from members and others. Chief points of contention were the Republican majority's move to tax some pensions, require public employees to pay more for health insurance and a series of school reforms, including tenure changes and more charter schools.

“While it was a close, hard-fought race, voters have clearly spoken – they’re fed up with Republican politicians in Lansing attacking public education and the middle class,” MEA President Steven Cook said in a release.

“Last night’s results prove that voters will hold lawmakers accountable for assaults on the middle class. This is more than just a victory for voters in the 51st District who feel Paul Scott hasn’t been representing their interests – it’s a victory for every Michigan voter who feels misled by Republicans and their agenda this year in Lansing.”

State Rep. Thomas McMillin, R-Rochester Hills, was tapped by House Speaker Jase Bolger to replace Scott as head of the House Education Committee. He said GOP lawmakers are not intimidated and plan to move forward with their work.

State Sen. Phil Pavlov, R-St. Clair Township.

“If anyone thinks I'm going to back down, they are greatly mistaken,” he said. “To me, leaving children in failing schools is unconscionable. I'm not going to be sidelined in my efforts to help kids and give parents more choices.”

The Education Committee canceled its planned Wednesday meeting. The committee has been listening to testimony on bills that would lift the cap on university-approved charter schools and allow more online “cyber schools.”

Those bills already have cleared the state Senate. The House also still has to vote on a “parent trigger” that would convert failing traditional schools to charters if demanded by parents or teachers.

State Sen. Phil Pavlov, R-St. Clair Township, chairs the Senate Education Committee. He said he's not worried about the union turning its focus on him.

“We have important work still to do, including looking at accreditation and teacher evaluations," Pavlov said. "We have the momentum and we're going to be deliberate and do it right.”

Bolger believes the slim voter margin in no way reflects a mandate to back away from the Republicans' course, spokesman Ari Adler said.

“What we saw there was the result of a special interest pouring money and resources into a single election,” Adler said. “The personal attacks against Rep. Scott as we got closer to the vote were horrible. They couldn't attack the agenda, so they attacked the man.”

Some Democratic lawmakers say they were opposed to the recall, and expect Republicans to move forward with plans targeting six Democrats, possibly on the February ballot – along with the Republican presidential primary.

“I'm not celebrating,” said state Rep. Brandon Dillon, D-Grand Rapids, one of the six. “We're going to have some genuine policy debates and the best place to settle that is with the ballot box at a regularly scheduled election.”

Dillon said the recalls have become “a political weapon. I suspect there will be consequences.”